Rocking assembly



L. GOTTFRIED ROCKING ASSEMBLY Oct. 7, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 18, 1967 INVENTOR LOUIS GOTTFRIED AT TORNEY;

L. GOTTFRIED ROCKING ASSEMBLY Oct. 7, 1969 Filed Sept. 18, 1967 INQENTOR LOUIS GOTTFRIED AT TORNEY United States Patent 3,471,196 ROCKING ASSEMBLY Louis Gottfried, New York, N.Y., assignor to Helen Grunfeld, Scarsdale, N.Y. Filed Sept. 18, 1967, Ser. No. 668,626 Int. Cl. A47c 3/029, 13/00; A47d 1/08 U.S. Cl. 297-133 10 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A detachable rocking assembly comprising a rocker base member including two curved parallel rocker arms for rocking on a surface, an intermediate support member, releasably received and supported by the rocker base member and releasably adapted to be associated with a furniture member, and means for releasably connecting the intermediate support member to the rocker base member, in at least two selective positions angularly spaced apart from each other in order to permit a rocking of the fumiture member in two different directions.

The present invention relates to rocking assemblies.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a detachable rocking assembly which permits rocking in at least two different directions of interchangeable furniture members, for example, chairs, cribs, childrens horses, and the like, and which is easily connected and detached, and is sturdy, compact and inexpensive.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a detachable rocking assembly comprising a rocker base member including two curved parallel rocker arms for rocking on a surface, an intermediate support member releasably received and supported by the rocker base member, and releasably adapted to be associated with a furniture member, and means for releasably connecting the intermediate support member to the rocker base member in at least two selective positions angularly spaced apart from each other in order to permit rocking of the rocker base member in two different directions.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent in the following detailed description, the present invention will be clearly understood in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded view of a rocking assembly designed in accordance with the present invention, showing the legs of a furniture member selected for connection therewith;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the assembly of FIG. 1 connected together for transverse rocking;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the connected assembly of FIG. 2 showing the rocker base member and the intermediate support member connected together for transverse rocking;

FIG. 4 is a section along the lines 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a section along the lines 55 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of the assembly of FIG. 1 showing the rocker base member and the intermediate support member connected for longitudinal rocking;

FIG. 7 is a section along the lines 77 of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a section along the lines 88 of FIG. 6.

Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 1, a rocking assembly of the present invention comprises a rocker base member 1, preferably made of cast iron or the like and including tubular rocker arms 2, which are curved and parallel to each other and which are connected in position by two parallel cross-bars 3, which cross-bars 3 are mounted perpendicularly to the rocker arms 2. Each of the bars 3 is formed with downwardly bent end portions 4 secured to the inner sides of the rocker arms 2, adjacent the ends thereof, by bolts,

3,471,196 Patented Oct. 7, 1969 ICC riveting, welding or the like, the bent end portions 4 raising the bars 3 vertically upward relative the center of the rocker arms 2. Two longitudinal bars 5 are secured to the upper ends of the bars 3 spaced parallel from each other extending longitudinally adjacent the rocker arms 2. The bars 3 and 5 form a square frame configuration and are each formed of the same thickness and width. The center portions 6 of the bars 3 are bent upwardly and lie in the same horizontal plane as the bars 5.

The rocking assembly also includes an intermediate support member 11 which is adapted to be releasably connected to the rocker base member in at least two different positions relative the direction of rocking, as will hereinafter he described. The intermediate support member 11 is further adapted to be releasably secured to a furniture member 12 (only partially illustrated), which furniture member 12 may include, for example, but not limited thereto, a chair, cradle, crib, horse, other animal members, etc., so that the furniture member may be utilized for rocking selectively in at least two different positions, relative the rocking direction, such as for example, longitudinal or transverse rocking.

Although not limited thereto, the furniture member or unit 12 is adapted to be connected to the intermediate member by any form of guide members, as for instance inwardly facing, spaced U-shaped channel members 13, by inserting legs 14 of the furniture unit into the channel members 13. The legs 14 of the furniture unit 12 are readily slid horizontally into the channel members 13 to provide engagement therewith; and a spring-biased bolt 15, which locks the members together longitudinally is provided in the channel members 13, which bolt 15 is received by a complementary opening 16 in the legs 14 of the furniture unit 12 for securely but releasingly locking the members together, similar to that disclosed in copending patent application by Louis Gottfried and Jacob Berger, Ser. No. 570,360, entitled Detachable Juvenile Utility Assembly, filed on Aug. 4, 1966.

The arrangement of channel members in connection with a rocker and in particular the securing of channel members to the rocker base member has been disclosed in applicants own prior Patent No. 2,662,580, dated Dec. 15, 1953, and No. 2,662,581, dated Dec. 15, 1953. The same means applied in said two prior patents for securing the furniture unit to the rocker base member are now applied for securing the furniture unit to the intermediate support member 11. Said patents constitute part of the present disclosure, and it will suffice to state that other embodiments of guide means for the legs 14 of the furniture unit 12 can be provided, which other guide means are clearly disclosed in said prior patents. Thus a single channel member can be provided, in order to permit lateral engagement of the legs of the furniture unit with the intermediate support member 11. In a still further embodiment no channel members are provided for connection with the intermediate support member 11, rather the horizontal legs 14 of the furniture unit 12 rest on the bars 17 and spring bolts, provided in the intermediate member 11, as for instance in additional bars disposed perpendicularly to the bars 17, and entering corresponding holes in the horizontal legs, secure the latter to the intermediate support member 11.

The intermediate support member 11 further includes two parallel bars 17 connected at their upper surface perpendicularly to the ends of bottoms 18 of the channel members 13. The bars 17 are curved downwardly at their ends into abutment ends 19, and two cross-bars 20 are riveted thereto diagonally and centrally to each other to add strength to the frame consisting of the bars 17 and channel members 13.

The outer edges 21 of the respective bars 17 are spaced from each other by a distance equal to the distance between the inner edges 7 of the bars of the rocker base member 1 and equal to the distance between the inner edges 8 of the respective bars 3 of the rocker base member 1. Accordingly the intermediate support member 11 is adapted to be selectively positioned complementarily between the bars 3 of the rocker base member 1 with the inner edges 8 thereof abutting the outer edges 21 of the bars 17 of the intermediate support member 11 for longitudinal rocking (FIGS. 6 and 7), or to be selectively positioned complementarily between the bars 5 of the rocker base member 1 with the inner edges 7 thereof abutting the outer edges 21 of the bars 17 of the intermediate support member 11, in which position the intermediate support member 11 may be locked to the rocker base member to permit transverse rocking (FIGS, 3 and 5 of the furniture unit.

A latch means for releasably locking the rocker base member 1 to the intermediate support member 11 is illustrated preferably as a part of the intermediate support member 11, although not limited thereto, and comprises at least one plate 22 secured to the lower side of one of the arms 17, projecting outwardly beyond the edge 21 thereof, and includes at least one latch plate 23, pivotally mounted horizontally about pivot 24 at the bottom of the other arm 17. A spring-biased locking bolt 25 is mounted on the latch plate 23 and engages in a hole 26 in the arm 17 adjacent the pivot 24, in which position the latch plate 23 is locked in a position extending outwardly beyond the edge 21 of bar 17 (as shown in FIGS. 3, 5, 6 and 7). It is of advantage to provide two latch plates 23 and two oppositely arranged plates 22.

The inter-mediate support member 11 may be placed on the rocker base member 1 with the edges 21 of the bars 17 abutting selectively either the inner edges 7 of the bars 5, or the edges 8 of the bars 3, respectively, for lateral or transverse rocking, respectively, as desired, and the plate 22 and the swingable latch plate 23 may be positioned underneath the abutting bars 3 (at raised portions 6) or 5, respectively, thereby locking the intermediate support member 11, in position, to the rocker base member 1.

In the locked positions, the abutment ends 19 of each bar 17 extend outwardly and downwardly about the outer edges of those bars of the rocker base member 1, to which the locking plates 22 and 23 do not engage, thereby locking these bars therebetween and preventing shifting of the intermediate support member 11 relative the rocker base member 1 perpendicular to these bars. For this purpose, the spacing between the abutment ends 19 of each arm 17 is complementary to the distance between the outer edges of the arms 3 and 5.

Referring now again to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 2-5, the rocking assembly is shown in secured but releasable position for transverse rocking. The intermediate support member 11 is connected to the rocker base member 1 and the furniture unit 12 is connected in the channel members 13 of the intermediate support member 11. The intermediate support member 11 is positioned by placing the plate 22 underneath one of the bars 5 and then lowering the intermediate support member, so that the edges 21 of the bars 17 are adjacent the inner edges 7 of the bars 5, the latch plate 23 being pivoted inwardly to permit the bars 5 and 17 to align horizontally in the same horizontal plane. The abutment ends 19 of the bars 17 fall into position about the outer edges of bars 3 of the rocker base member 1. The latch plate 23 is then pivoted underneath the adjacent bar 5 until the spring-biased bolt 25 is received in a hole 26 in the bar 17, thereby locking the latch plate 23 underneath the bar 5 and locking the members 1 and 11 together. The fixed plate 22 and the latch plate 23, in this locked position, secure the intermediate support member 11 to the rocker base member 1, horizontally, and the intermediate support member 11 rests snugly on the rocker base member 1, with the bars 17, sitting upon the upper surface of the bars 3 of the rocker base member 1, adjacent the ends, preventing relative vertical displacement. The abutting edges 7 and 21 of the bars 5 and 17, respectively, prevent relative lateral movement, relative the rocking direction, of the intermediate support member 11 and the rocker base member 1; and the abutment ends 19 of the bars 17 which engage the outer edges of the bars 3, prevent longitudinal movement of the intermediate support member 11 relative to the rocker base member 1. Accordingly, the rocker base is secured releasably and detachably with simple means, preventing longitudinal, lateral and vertical displacement.

Referring now again to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGS. 6-8, the detachable rocking assembly is shown connected for forward and backward, or longitudinal, rocking. In this position the intermediate support member 11 is laced on the rocker base member 1 degrees relative the position of FIG. 3), and the edges 21 of the arms 17 abut the inner edges 8 of the raised portions 6 of the bars 3. To lock the members together, the intermediate support member 11 is first positioned by placing the plate 22 underneath one of the raised portions 6 of the bars 3 and then lowering the other side of the intermediate support member 11 and pivoting inwardly the latch plate 23 until the bars 17 near the abutment ends 19, sit on the bars 5 and the intermediate support member 11 is horizontally positioned on the rocker base member 1, with the raised portions 6 of the bars 3 being aligned in the same plane as the bars 17. In this position the latch plate 23 is pivoted outwardly underneath the adjacent raised portion 6 of the bar 3 until the spring-biased bolt 25 is received in hole 26 in the bar 17, thereby locking the latch plate 23 under the bar 3 and locking members 1 and 11 together. The abutment ends 19 of the bars 17 engage therebetween the outer edges of the bars 5 preventing, in this position, lateral movement relative the rocking direction, of the intermediate support member 11 relative the rocker base member 1. The plate 22 and the latch plate 23 lock the members together and prevent lifting movement, and the edges 8 of the raised portions 6 of the bars 3 abutting the outer edges 21 of the bars 17 of the intermediate member 11 prevent longitudinal movement of the members relative the rocking direction. Further preventing longitudinal movement, are (in this position) the outer sides of the ends 19 of the bars 17 which further abut the inner edges 8 of the bars 3 at the ends thereof (FIG. 6).

Other than square frame configurations may be used, in accordance with the present invention, such as, for example, triangularor other polygon-shaped frames, for permitting more than two directions of rocking.

While I have disclosed several embodiments of the present invention, it is to be understood that these embodiments are given by example only, and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A detachable rocking assembly comprising a rocker base member including two curved rocker arms for rocking on a surface and a square frame secured to said rocker arms,

an intermediate support member releasably received and supported by said rocker base member, and releasably adapted to be associated with a furniture member, and

means for releasably connecting said intermediate support member to said rocker base member in at least two selective positions angularly spaced apart from each other in order to permit a rocking of said furniture member in two different directions.

2. The detachable rocking assembly, as set forth in claim 1 wherein said two curved rocker arms of said rocker base member are disposed parallel relative to each other.

3. The detachable rocking assembly, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said intermediate support member comprises guide means including spring-biased bolts operatively associated therewith for receiving and releasably securing said furniture member to said intermediate sup port member. 4. The detachable rocking assembly, as set forth in claim 3 wherein said guide means comprises at least one inwardly facing spaced U-shaped channel member. 5. The assembly, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said means includes,

first bars constituting part of said rocker base memher and defining a frame and each including portions thereof aligned in a common horizontal plane, second bars constituting part of said intermediate support member complementary to said portions of said frame and adapted to be positioned complementary adjacent said portions in said frame with said second bars aligned in said common horizontal plane in said at least two selective positions, said second bars resting and supported in part on other portions of said frame and including downwardly bent abutment ends engaging said other portions of said frame, and latch means for locking said intermediate support member against vertical upward displacement from said rocker base member and mounted to and under said second bars adjacent said portions of said frame. 6. The assembly, as set forth in claim 5, wherein said frame defines inner edges of said portions which are complementary to the outer edges of said second bars. 7. The assembly, as set forth in claim 5, wherein said first bars include two parallel cross-bars connected perpendicular to said rocker arms and two parallel longitudinal bars secured to the upper surface of the ends of said cross-bars and defining together a square frame, said cross-bars forming raised portions lying in said common horizontal plane, said longitudinal bars lyingin said common horizontal plane, said second bars comprising two parallel bars,

said inner edges constituting the inner edges of said two cross-bars and the inner edges of said two longitudinal bars, respectively, and said inner edges being spaced a distance equal to the distance between said outer edges of said second bars, and the outer edges of said two cross-bars and the outer edges of said two longitudinal bars being spaced apart, respectively, by a distance equal to the distance between said abutment ends of said second bars. 8. The assembly, as set forth in claim 7, wherein said latch means comprises,

at least one plate secured to the bottom of one of said second bars and extending outwardly from said outer edge thereof, at least one latch plate pivotally mounted to the bottom of the other of said second bars for horizontal pivoting outwardly of said outer edge of said other of said second bars and inwardly thereof, respectively, and means for locking said at least one latch plate in position outwardly of said outer edge of said other of said second bars. 9. The assembly, as set forth in claim 7, wherein said abutment ends engage said frame therebetween. 10. The assembly, as set forth in claim 7, further comprising diagonal bars connecting said second bars diagonally.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 304,435 10/1884 Mallick 297133 1,478,449 12/ 1923 Meister 297133 1,535,298 4/ 1925 Drabinsky 297133 2,662,580 12/1953 Gottfried 297133 2,662,581 12/1953 Gottfried 297133 3,114,572 12/1953 Hopkins 297--133 X BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner G. O. FINCH, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 297272 

